This invention pertains to trash containers which may be lined with thin-walled plastic liners and in particular to trash containers having means to prevent the plastic liners from falling into the trash containers.
Householders frequently use trash can liners to line trash cans, bins, wastebaskets, or the like in order to provide a disposable bag useful to draw the trash from the container. The use of a plastic liner serves to keep the inside of the trash container clean and is therefore desirable. Frequently consumers have a supply of flexible thin-walled plastic bags which are provided by retailers to carry purchased merchandise. These can also be reused as trash can liners.
Because the plastic bags or trash can liners are quite flexible, they tend to slip from the container rim and fall into the trash container when trash is placed in the container, particularly if the trash can liner is smaller than the volume of the trash container itself.
Various devices have been developed to attempt to provide a solution to the problem of the liner or bag falling into the trash container when trash is added. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,452 to Mueller, et al. provides trash can liner fasteners of several varieties, in order to retain the handles of a retailer provided take-home plastic bag. Mueller, et al. also teaches clips to fit over the edges of the trash container openings which will clamp the walls of the plastic bag as they pass over the edges of the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,585 to Power teaches a trash can with an outer lip around its opening which cooperates with a plug to trap the sidewall of a plastic trash can liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,056 to McCoig teaches an adapter ring which suspends a trash can liner with handles or sidewall openings, within a trash receptacle.
Most of the variants taught by the above discussed references require that handles be provided on the trash can liner or plastic bag to be employed as a liner.
Other known means of attempting to prevent the container liner from falling into the container is by use of rubber bands to trap the sidewall overlying the outside of the trash container to the outside wall of the container, or by drawing the mouth of the liner tightly around the opening of the container and knotting the excess material of the liner upon itself to provide a snug frictional interface between the liner and the opening of the container.